death certificate

noun

: an official document that gives information about a person's death (such as when and how the death happened)

Examples of death certificate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Hernandez died of hypothermia a few hours later, according to her death certificate. —Jordan Rau, NPR, 19 Apr. 2026

His public death certificate listed HIV as a contributing factor. —Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 11 Apr. 2026

The Superman star died from acute cardiopulmonary arrest, according to her death certificate, which was obtained by PEOPLE. —Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Apr. 2026

Also known as sudden cardiac arrest, the condition was confirmed on her death certificate, which was obtained by People. —Brie Stimson, FOXNews.com, 9 Apr. 2026

Legal Definition

death certificate

noun

: a document setting forth information (as age, occupation, and place of birth) relating to a dead person and including a doctor's certification of the cause of death

Note: Death certificates are issued by a particular public official, as a city or town clerk. A death certificate is required to document a person's death for certain purposes, as to file an estate tax return or to probate an estate.